rhythm and blues

IPA/ˌrɪðəm ən ˈbluːz/
IPA/ˌrɪðəm ən ˈbluːz/

rhythm and blues — noun

1. a style of popular music rooted in African American musical culture from the mid

1.nounB1
Definition

a style of popular music rooted in African American musical culture from the mid-1900s, known for combining danceable rhythms with the emotional intensity of blues music and the improvisational spirit of jazz, and serving as a major influence on rock, soul, and funk.

Example

Beatriz downloaded a rhythm and blues album after hearing the band on the radio.

rhythm and blues album

Vikram's parents grew up listening to rhythm and blues in Chicago during the 1950s.

rhythm and blues in Chicago

Common collocations
  • rhythm and blues music
  • rhythm and blues singer
  • rhythm and blues band
  • rhythm and blues album
  • classic rhythm and blues
  • modern rhythm and blues
Synonyms
  • R&B

    standard abbreviation, more common in informal and written contexts

  • soul

    a later offshoot with stronger gospel and vocal influences; not identical to R&B

  • funk

    a related style with heavier bass-driven rhythms; emerged after early R&B

Grammar Patterns

rhythm and blues as subject + singular verb

rhythm and blues + noun (attributive use)

Usage Note

Treated as a singular uncountable noun. Often abbreviated as R&B in writing and conversation.

Common Mistakes

Rhythm and blues are my favorite genre.
Rhythm and blues is my favorite genre.
the phrase names one genre and takes a singular verb.

Word family

  • R&B
    nounB1
  • rhythm-and-blues
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Rhythm and blues (or R&B) is the broadest of these four terms, describing the popular Black American music that emerged in the 1940s. Blues is the older, slower parent style that R&B grew out of — blues focuses on sorrow and storytelling with a 12-bar structure, while R&B added a stronger dance beat. Soul music, which became popular in the 1960s, shares R&B's rhythmic drive but puts gospel-influenced vocals at the centre. Funk, arriving in the late 1960s, stripped away some of the melody to emphasise bass lines and syncopated percussion even more heavily than R&B. For example, Aretha Franklin's 1960s work is soul; James Brown's 1970s work is funk; early Ray Charles recordings are rhythm and blues.

R&Bsoul ↗funk ↗blues ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • rhythm and blues music
  • rhythm and blues singer
  • rhythm and blues band
  • rhythm and blues album
  • classic rhythm and blues
  • modern rhythm and blues
  • rhythm and blues station

Etymology

English

The term 'rhythm and blues' was coined in 1948 by music journalist Jerry Wexler at Billboard magazine, who wanted a more respectful label than 'race records' for the popular music made by Black American artists. The name highlights the two key ingredients of the style: a strong, danceable rhythm and the emotional depth of the blues tradition.

First known use

1933

1933, in the meaning defined above